In inkjet printing, printing typically occurs with liquid ink that is typically comprised of multiple components. The water and solvent are often for example glycol. These solvents often have high boiling points in a range from 200° C. to 300° C. This ink fluid is customarily applied by nozzles to the paper surface. The ink is often subsequently dried. The boiling points of the solvents thereby typically cannot be reached since the paper would thereby be damaged, such that they remain on the paper surface. Additional recording media—for example paperboard, cardboard or other material—also behave similarly.
Thermoplastics are often also added to the inks for more wear-stable systems. These may form stable films at the achievable temperatures. However, the film formation will be hindered or the generated film will remain softer due to the solvent on the surface of the recording medium (paper, for example). The solvents interfere with the processing process insofar as they cannot be removed from the surface of the recording medium (for example paper, paperboard or cardboard).
Similar problems occur given printing processes with liquid toners, in which mixtures of organic solvents are typically used that, however, are normally anhydrous.
In order to circumvent the above problems, the quantity of solvents is conventionally kept low, which however entails disadvantages in the processing in the print head (of an inkjet printer, for example).
Alternatively or additionally, the temperature at fixing is also set as high as possible for as long as possible in order to vaporize as much liquid as possible or in order to allow as much liquid as possible to penetrate into the recording medium (paper, for example), which may, however, damage the recording medium and is also disadvantageous from economic and ecological standpoints.
Moreover, a longer path for the recording medium may be inserted between the print groups and the fixing station, in order to enable the penetration of the solvent into the paper. However, this extends the printing process and requires larger printing devices, which is likewise uneconomical.
Finally, recording media such as paper may also be modified and made more absorbent to liquids. However, the recording media are thereby more expensive and require a more complicated a more complicated manufacturing.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and a device with which printed recording media may be effectively treated and fixed so that optimally no solvent remains on the recording medium.
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